NY State Senate Bill 2013-S3257A

Senate Bill S3257A

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Provides standards for the number of water closets in certain areas of public assembly and increases the required number of water closets for women

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Housing, Construction And Community Development Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 10, 2014	print number 3257a
Feb 10, 2014	amend and recommit to housing, construction and community development
Jan 08, 2014	referred to housing, construction and community development
Jan 31, 2013	referred to housing, construction and community development

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2013-S3257 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Housing, Construction And Community Development
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §378-a, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S2279
2011-2012: S1137
2015-2016: S3983
2017-2018: S3595
2019-2020: S4959
2021-2022: S5383
2023-2024: S6841

2013-S3257 - Summary

Provides standards for the number of water closets in certain areas of public assembly and increases the required number of water closets for women; sets deadlines for compliance.

2013-S3257 - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S3257

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the executive law, in relation to stand-
ards for the number of water closets in certain places of public assem-
bly and increases the number of water closets for women

PURPOSE:  To require twice as many sanitary facilities for women as for
men in buildings used for public assembly.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:  Creates a new section 378-a of the Executive law
to require that rest-rooms in arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, meeting
halls, theaters, public dance halls, or buildings where alcohol is sold
and consumed, must provide twice as many water closets for women as for
men if: the aforementioned public space is newly constructed; the afore-
mentioned public space has undergone renovations where the cost of such
alterations in any 12 month period exceeds 30% of the value of the
building or space, or; an existing building or space has been altered to
now become a Public space as listed above.

Provides that arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, meeting halls, theaters,
public dance halls or buildings where alcohol is sold and consumed that
do not meet the conditions outlined above, shall by January 1, 2011,
re-designate existing bathrooms if doing so would produce a ratio that
approximates the 2: 1 requirement.

Provides that urinals may be provided in bathrooms in lieu of water

closets but the number shall not exceed 50% of the number of sanitary
facilities in such bathrooms.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  2011-12: S.1137/A.6808 - Referred to Housing,
Construction & Community Development/ Referred to Governmental Oper-
ations
2010: S.2279-A Referred to Housing, Construction & Community Development
      A.6424-A Referred to Governmental Operations
2008: S.2485 Referred to Housing, Construction & Community Development
      A.4705 Referred to Governmental Operations
2006: S.1351 Referred to Housing, Construction & Community Development
      A.12049 Referred to Governmental Operations

JUSTIFICATION:  According to studies by Dr. Sandra Rawls on patterns of
behavior in the use of bathrooms, it frequently takes women twice as
long to use the bathroom as it does men. The absence of sufficient
women's bathrooms in places of public assembly, and the resultant hues
for women's bathrooms, is one of the most blatant, demeaning, and visi-
ble forms of gender discrimination. The 2003 International Building Code
requires approximately twice as many water closets for women as for men
in places of public assembly. Numerous jurisdictions, including Califor-
nia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, have
enacted laws requiring more rest rooms for women.

This bill recognizes the different rest room needs of men and women and
is in keening with changes in the International Building Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after
it shall have become a law.

2013-S3257 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  3257

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 31, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
  Community Development

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  executive law, in relation to standards for the
  number of water closets in  certain  places  of  public  assembly  and
  increases the number of water closets for women

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section  378-a
to read as follows:
  S  378-A.  STANDARDS  FOR  WATER  CLOSETS  IN CERTAIN PLACES OF PUBLIC
ASSEMBLY. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY RULE, REGULATION OR LAW TO THE  CONTRA-
RY,  STANDARDS  FOR  WATER  CLOSETS IN THE BUILDINGS CONTAINING AREAS OF
PUBLIC ASSEMBLY ENUMERATED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE AS  STATED  IN  THIS
SECTION.
  2.  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY ARENA, AUDITORI-
UM, OR BUILDING WHERE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE SOLD AND CONSUMED, MEETING
HALL, MOTION PICTURE THEATRE, PUBLIC DANCE HALL, STADIUM, OR THEATRE  IN
THE FOLLOWING BUILDINGS OR SPACES:
  A. NEW BUILDINGS OR SPACES;
  B.  EXISTING  BUILDINGS  OR  SPACES THAT ARE ALTERED WHERE THE COST OF
MAKING ALTERATIONS  IN  ANY  TWELVE-MONTH  PERIOD  SHALL  EXCEED  THIRTY
PERCENT OF THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING OR SPACE; AND
  C.  EXISTING BUILDINGS OR SPACES THAT ARE ALTERED WHERE THE ALTERATION
OF THE BUILDING OR SPACE RESULTS IN A  CHANGE  IN  THE  OCCUPANCY  GROUP
CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  BUILDING  OR  SPACE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE
BUILDING CODES APPLICABLE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
  3. BY JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, ANY ARENA,  AUDITORIUM,  OR
BUILDING  WHERE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE SOLD AND CONSUMED, MEETING HALL,
MOTION PICTURE THEATRE, PUBLIC  DANCE  HALL,  STADIUM,  OR  THEATRE  NOT
SUBJECT  TO  SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL RE-DESIGNATE EXISTING

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06648-01-3

S. 3257                             2

BATHROOMS FOR THE USE BY PERSONS OF ONE SEX TO THE OTHER, IF  MORE  THAN
TWO  BATHROOMS  EXIST  IN SUCH FACILITY, AND IF DOING SO WOULD PRODUCE A
RATIO OF WATER CLOSETS DESIGNATED FOR THE USE OF WOMEN AND MEN THAT MORE
CLOSELY  APPROXIMATES  THE  RATIO  OF  WOMENS'  TO  MENS'  WATER CLOSETS
REQUIRED UNDER SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION.
  4. A. THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR THE NUMBER OF WATER CLOSETS PURSUANT
TO THIS SECTION FOR ANY ARENA, AUDITORIUM, OR BUILDING  WHERE  ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES  ARE  SOLD AND CONSUMED, MEETING HALL, MOTION PICTURE THEATRE,
PUBLIC DANCE HALL, STADIUM, OR THEATRE SHALL BE AS LISTED IN TABLE 1.
                                  TABLE 1

NUMBER OF PERSONS    NUMBER OF WATER CLOSETS    NUMBER OF WATER CLOSETS
                            FOR MEN                    FOR WOMEN
1-150                           1                        2
151-300                         2                        4
301-450                         3                        6
FOR OCCUPANCY BY MORE THAN FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY PERSONS,  THERE  SHALL  BE
ONE  WATER CLOSET FOR MEN AND TWO WATER CLOSETS FOR WOMEN FOR EACH ADDI-
TIONAL THREE HUNDRED PERSONS.  THE  POPULATION  USED  TO  DETERMINE  THE
NUMBER  OF WATER CLOSETS REQUIRED SHALL BE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
TO OCCUPY THE SPACE; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN NO CASE SHALL THE  POPU-
LATION BE DEEMED LESS THAN THAT DETERMINED BY ALLOWING ONE HUNDRED TWEN-
TY-FIVE SQUARE FEET OF FLOOR AREA PER PERSON.
  B.  URINALS  MAY BE PROVIDED IN BATHROOMS IN LIEU OF WATER CLOSETS BUT
THE NUMBER SHALL NOT EXCEED FIFTY PERCENT  OF  THE  REQUIRED  NUMBER  OF
SANITARY FIXTURES.
  S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided that the secretary of state  is  immediately
authorized and directed to promulgate, amend and/or repeal any rules and
regulations  necessary  to  implement  the provisions of this act on its
effective date.

2013-S3257A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Housing, Construction And Community Development
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §378-a, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S2279
2011-2012: S1137
2015-2016: S3983
2017-2018: S3595
2019-2020: S4959
2021-2022: S5383
2023-2024: S6841

2013-S3257A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides standards for the number of water closets in certain areas of public assembly and increases the required number of water closets for women; sets deadlines for compliance.

2013-S3257A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S3257A

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the executive law, in relation to
standards for the number of water closets in certain places of public
assembly and increases the number of water closets for women

PURPOSE:

To require twice as many sanitary facilities for women as for men in
buildings used for public assembly.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Creates a new section 378-a of the Executive law to require that
rest-rooms in arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, meeting halls, theaters,
public dance halls, or buildings where alcohol is sold and consumed,
must provide twice as many water closets for women as for men if: the
aforementioned public space is newly constructed; the aforementioned
public space has undergone renovations where the cost of such
alterations in any 12 month period exceeds 30% of the value of the
building or space, or; an existing building or space has been altered
to now become a Public space as listed above.

Provides that arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, meeting halls, theaters,
public dance halls or buildings where alcohol is sold and consumed
that do not meet the conditions outlined above, shall by January 1,

2016, re-designate existing bathrooms if doing so would produce a
ratio that approximates the 2SCRIPT requirement.

Provides that urinals may be provided in bathrooms in lieu of water
closets but the number shall not exceed 50% of the number of sanitary
facilities in such bathrooms.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2011-12: S.1137/A.6808 - Referred to Housing, Construction & Community
Development/ Referred to Governmental Operations
2010: S.2279-A Referred to Housing, Construction & Community
Development
A.6424-A Referred to Governmental Operations
2008: S.2485 Referred to Housing, Construction & Community Development
A.4705 Referred to Governmental Operations
2006: S.1351 Referred to Housing, Construction & Community Development
A.12049 Referred to Governmental Operations

JUSTIFICATION:

According to studies by Dr. Sandra Rawls on patterns of behavior in
the use of bathrooms, it frequently takes women twice as long to use
the bathroom as it does men. The absence of sufficient women's
bathrooms in places of public assembly, and the resultant hues for
women's bathrooms, is one of the most blatant, demeaning, and visible
forms of gender discrimination. The 2003 International Building Code
requires approximately twice as many water closets for women as for
men in places of public assembly. Numerous jurisdictions, including
California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington,
have enacted laws requiring more rest rooms for women.


This bill recognizes the different rest room needs of men and women
and is in keeping with changes in the International Building Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2013-S3257A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 3257--A

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 31, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
  Community  Development  --  recommitted  to  the Committee on Housing,
  Construction and Community Development in accordance with Senate  Rule
  6,  sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
  amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the executive law, in  relation  to  standards  for  the
  number  of  water  closets  in  certain  places of public assembly and
  increases the number of water closets for women

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 378-a
to read as follows:
  S 378-A. STANDARDS FOR WATER  CLOSETS  IN  CERTAIN  PLACES  OF  PUBLIC
ASSEMBLY.  1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY RULE, REGULATION OR LAW TO THE CONTRA-
RY, STANDARDS FOR WATER CLOSETS IN THE  BUILDINGS  CONTAINING  AREAS  OF
PUBLIC  ASSEMBLY  ENUMERATED  IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE AS STATED IN THIS
SECTION.
  2. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY ARENA,  AUDITORI-
UM, OR BUILDING WHERE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE SOLD AND CONSUMED, MEETING
HALL,  MOTION PICTURE THEATRE, PUBLIC DANCE HALL, STADIUM, OR THEATRE IN
THE FOLLOWING BUILDINGS OR SPACES:
  A. NEW BUILDINGS OR SPACES;
  B. EXISTING BUILDINGS OR SPACES THAT ARE ALTERED  WHERE  THE  COST  OF
MAKING  ALTERATIONS  IN  ANY  TWELVE-MONTH  PERIOD  SHALL  EXCEED THIRTY
PERCENT OF THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING OR SPACE; AND
  C. EXISTING BUILDINGS OR SPACES THAT ARE ALTERED WHERE THE  ALTERATION
OF  THE  BUILDING  OR  SPACE  RESULTS IN A CHANGE IN THE OCCUPANCY GROUP
CLASSIFICATION OF THE BUILDING OR SPACE  UNDER  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THE
BUILDING CODES APPLICABLE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06648-02-4

S. 3257--A                          2

  3.  BY  JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN, ANY ARENA, AUDITORIUM, OR
BUILDING WHERE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE SOLD AND CONSUMED, MEETING  HALL,
MOTION  PICTURE  THEATRE,  PUBLIC  DANCE  HALL,  STADIUM, OR THEATRE NOT
SUBJECT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL  RE-DESIGNATE  EXISTING
BATHROOMS  FOR  THE USE BY PERSONS OF ONE SEX TO THE OTHER, IF MORE THAN
TWO BATHROOMS EXIST IN SUCH FACILITY, AND IF DOING SO  WOULD  PRODUCE  A
RATIO OF WATER CLOSETS DESIGNATED FOR THE USE OF WOMEN AND MEN THAT MORE
CLOSELY  APPROXIMATES  THE  RATIO  OF  WOMEN'S  TO  MEN'S  WATER CLOSETS
REQUIRED UNDER SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION.
  4. A. THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR THE NUMBER OF WATER CLOSETS PURSUANT
TO THIS SECTION FOR ANY ARENA, AUDITORIUM, OR BUILDING  WHERE  ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES  ARE  SOLD AND CONSUMED, MEETING HALL, MOTION PICTURE THEATRE,
PUBLIC DANCE HALL, STADIUM, OR THEATRE SHALL BE AS LISTED IN TABLE 1.
                                  TABLE 1

NUMBER OF PERSONS    NUMBER OF WATER CLOSETS    NUMBER OF WATER CLOSETS
                            FOR MEN                    FOR WOMEN
1-150                           1                        2
151-300                         2                        4
301-450                         3                        6
FOR OCCUPANCY BY MORE THAN FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY PERSONS,  THERE  SHALL  BE
ONE  WATER CLOSET FOR MEN AND TWO WATER CLOSETS FOR WOMEN FOR EACH ADDI-
TIONAL THREE HUNDRED PERSONS.  THE  POPULATION  USED  TO  DETERMINE  THE
NUMBER  OF WATER CLOSETS REQUIRED SHALL BE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
TO OCCUPY THE SPACE; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN NO CASE SHALL THE  POPU-
LATION BE DEEMED LESS THAN THAT DETERMINED BY ALLOWING ONE HUNDRED TWEN-
TY-FIVE SQUARE FEET OF FLOOR AREA PER PERSON.
  B.  URINALS  MAY BE PROVIDED IN BATHROOMS IN LIEU OF WATER CLOSETS BUT
THE NUMBER SHALL NOT EXCEED FIFTY PERCENT  OF  THE  REQUIRED  NUMBER  OF
SANITARY FIXTURES.
  S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided that the secretary of state  is  immediately
authorized and directed to promulgate, amend and/or repeal any rules and
regulations  necessary  to  implement  the provisions of this act on its
effective date.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.